


Wonders

by otomiyatickles



Category: Banana Fish (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Fluff, Gang Tickling, M/M, Multi, Tickling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-12
Updated: 2018-12-12
Packaged: 2019-09-17 04:11:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16967424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/otomiyatickles/pseuds/otomiyatickles
Summary: Ash observes how tickle fights break out between Eiji and Shorter and just the entire sight and sound of it softens him completely. He isn’t sure if he’s ready to participate though, but he’ll find out soon enough.





	Wonders

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted to [otomiya-tickles.tumblr.com](http://otomiya-tickles.tumblr.com/) \- 4/9/'18.  
> 

“Hey, Ibe-san? Is Eiji ticklish?” Ash raised his eyebrows and looked to his side. It was during a short drive in Max’ car when Shorter decided to come up with something random to bully Eiji with. 

It had been fun to see their relationship develop. Their chemistry was better than Ash could’ve expected, and he smiled at the way Eiji sputtered and stuttered in an attempt to answer before Ibe would. 

Ibe, who sat on the front seat next to Max, just turned his head slightly and smirked teasingly.

“You bet he is.” Eiji who sat in the middle of them squeaked, and that was when Shorter made use of Eiji’s limited space to move around and he went straight for the kill. Ash glanced down and could see wiggly fingers ambush Eiji’s slender body, making the guy squawk and jump around as much as he could.

“Aha-Sho-Shorte-no! HEhe no f-fahahair!” he gasped. Shorter just laughed triumphantly and continued the assault.

“Thought so thought so! Such a sweet giggle you got there. What do you say Ash, should we hear it again?” Shorter began to crawl his fingers up Eiji’s torso, making him gasp loudly and arch his back. 

“NAHa-Ahahash h-hehehelp!” Ash simply smiled without responding to either of them and just watched them fondly. He also didn’t mind Eiji clinging onto him for his dear life while Shorter absolutely tickled him to death from the other side. Almost unconsciously, Ash just let his eyes scan every single movement Shorter’s fingers would make to make Eiji squeal and giggle like a kid. 

He filed the information away for later, but without specific plans for using them. For now, he just listened to Eiji’s brilliant snorts and cute sounds, mixed with Shorter’s plain taunts and teases, and in the background there was some laughter coming from both Max and Ibe. Haha, poor Eiji.

* * *

It happened to become an occasional thing. Whichever chance Shorter would get, he seemed to want to tickle Eiji, who miraculously never protested or sweared at him for doing so. 

Also each time it happened, Ash and sometimes others happened to be around, and it did actual wonders on everyone’s mood. In a good way, causing jokes, laughter and happiness despite the reason why they were together in the first place.

One moment, after several shit went down in their lives, which prevented any bubbly moments to unfold lately, Ash stepped out of the truck when they were on their way to his home. He opened the back to wake up the gang, only to find Shorter leaning over Eiji and tickling his tummy playfully as he muttered soft teases in his ear. 

Eiji had his hands clamped over his mouth and was shaking with held back giggles, and that while Ibe was clearly awake, smiling fondly and quickly signaling to Ash that he had to be quiet because he was pretending to be asleep.

It was only until Eiji flailed so frantically that both Shorter and Eiji rolled over in their struggle, that they realized Ash was standing there, shaking his head at them with this little smile on his face. 

“G-good morning Ash!” Eiji said, his cheeks flushed and eyes teary. 

Ash noticed just how warm it made him feel to see these interactions. Their close bond. The wondrous sound of Eiji’s laughter, and just the sight of his blushy face after each time Shorter did his thing. For some reason Ash only never mingled with them. He never joined them. 

There was a moment when he was teaching Eiji to shoot. His hand lingered on Eiji’s side for a little as he guided him, and he could feel the guy flinch. All Ash had done was smile at this, and he may have given a teasy little squeeze before continuing, but not more than that. 

No matter how tempted he felt to do what Shorter was so good at, to ruin this moment by tickling Eiji and hearing his lovely laugh again, he didn’t. 

He had never been a touchy guy, for reasons. Shorter knew that, and Eiji probably sensed it. He was just awkward. Especially with physical things. He wasn’t even ticklish, as far as he knew. 

There was a time long ago, that Shorter tried to tickle Ash and Ash just gave him this cold stare, claiming he could’ve expected him not to react since his body had experienced all sorts of rougher touches before and had turned to ice. Dino and his guys had made sure of that, having gotten rid of every little bit of sensitivity on his body. At least, that’s what he thought up until now.

It wasn’t until their long drive to California that for the first time Ash couldn’t fight the temptation to join in wrecking their beloved Japanese. The drive was long, so of course it was filled with a bored Shorter tickling the life out of Eiji. 

One day they lay sprawled on the back of the car. Ibe had claimed the front seat, complaining about almost getting a black eye because of Eiji’s hysterical kicking during the tickling, and Ash sat with them this time, smiling at how they would never get enough of all this.

“Ahaha-Ash _heheheeelp_!” After all those times Ash left Eiji to die at Shorter’s devil fingers, Eiji would still call for his help, and he thought it was absolutely adorable.

“Help? Yeah Ash, why won’t you help out? _Me_ , I mean.” Shorter winked, and Ash blushed a little. That was the first time Shorter invited him to join, but yeah. Why wouldn’t he? What stopped him? At this point, he didn’t know anymore actually. He smirked and inched closer, watching Eiji’s eyes widen in surprise. He wiggled his fingers eagerly.

“Maybe I should?” he taunted. For a moment he also nearly had the black eye that Ibe had managed to escape from, just barely, as the both of them wrestled to pin Eiji down and said guy screamed bloody murder and flailed and kicked. 

Shorter hooked one arm under Eiji’s while Ash kneeled between his legs, and then they both began to tickle him mercilessly. 

Eiji’s reactions were worth all of it. The way he squeezed his eyes shut, how he tried to press his lips together despite how they would part again each time because his mouth would open wide because of his laughter, and that lovely color on his cheeks.

“STaha-stahap! No, ahaha p- _please_!” They kept going for as long as they could, and Ash could feel himself heat up from the enjoyment. 

From inside the car, Ibe turned and though he was laughing, he said:

“Keep him alive please!” Following his orders, they finally moved off him and allowed him to breathe, and Eiji did so, greedily.

“Y-you guys.. so.. hehe.. so mean...” he giggled. Ash caught himself staring at him, but he didn’t mind. He felt sweet and bubbly again because of all that just now, and he enjoyed the warm and positive feeling in his chest. 

“Heh, I’d let you have revenge on me if I was ticklish Eiji.” Wow, did he really just say that? He blushed instantly, and he could see Eiji smile merrily, and Shorter looked surprised.

“Wha- you’re not ticklish?” he asked, cocking his head like a cute puppy. Ash shrugged with a smile on his face.

“Ask Shorter. I’m no fun,” he said. Eiji looked at Shorter and then back at Ash. He shook his head.

“I don’t believe it. Can I try?” Ash felt his heart thump lightly. Not because he was afraid of physical contact, because it was just Eiji and Shorter. He trusted them. But he suddenly grew very nervous, without really understanding why.

“Eh sure. Don’t be too disappointed.” He glanced at the men in the front, who were busy singing Clementine together and had no idea of what was happening out here. Eiji crawled towards him, still shaky and stumbly because of that tickle attack just now, but he looked eager to tickle Ash, so Ash just leaned towards him and smiled teasingly.

“Try your best~” he hummed. Eiji first brought his hands up and pressed his fingers against Ash’ sides. Eiji would’ve jumped already, but Ash didn’t really feel it yet, though he did notice a certain tickly feeling in his chest from Eiji touching him like this.

“Hm...” Eiji switched to a different method, fluttering his fingers lightly up Ash his sides, tracing his ribs and getting dangerously close to his armpits. Ash felt it, to his own surprise and Shorter’s: the urge to laugh. He flinched, biting his lip though the corners of his lips were already twitching.

“Eh- hmm maybe I..” he said awkwardly, but Eiji already continued his experiment and managed to draw the first giggle out of him. Ash fell back in surprise, and his eyes widened. 

“You got a magic touch Eiji!” Shorter cheered, and Eiji hovered over him, smiling happily.

“Not ticklish ey? I think we found a way to make you laugh. Do you want to laugh, Ash?” What a cutie. Ash just smirked and gave Eiji this teasy look, despite his position.

“I’d say, give it your all.” He was unprepared for Shorter to join in, who grabbed his arms like he had done to Eiji, and then Eiji was suddenly scribbling his fingers all over his torso. Not too much pressure, no squeezing or digging which would work on many people, but soft and lighter touches, and it did wonders.

Ash began to laugh, soft and embarrassed, but he felt okay to show this side of him to the two guys he loved most. Both Eiji and Shorter laughed merrily when his reactions began to become more and more visible, and in turn, seeing these bright expressions on their faces, Ash felt better than he ever had in years.

“You guhhuys s-suck!” he laughed playfully, though he knew that they knew they could translate that into something much sweeter. 


End file.
